Aryan

Also Ar·i·an

[air-ee-uhn, air-yuhn, ar-]

noun

1. Ethnology.,  a member or descendant of the prehistoric people who spoke Indo-European.

2. (in Nazi doctrine) a non-Jewish Caucasian, especially of Nordic stock.

3. (formerly) Indo-European.

4. (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

adjective

1. of or relating to an Aryan or the Aryans.

2. (formerly) Indo-European.

3. (formerly) Indo-Iranian.

Aryan

/ ˈɛərɪən /

noun

1. (in Nazi ideology) a Caucasian of non-Jewish descent, esp of the Nordic type

2. a member of any of the peoples supposedly descended from the Indo-Europeans, esp a speaker of an Iranian or Indic language in ancient times

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of an Aryan or Aryans

adjective

1. archaic,  Indo-European

Other Word Forms

• non-Aryan noun
• pre-Aryan adjective
• pseudo-Aryan adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Aryan¹

First recorded in 1785–95; from Sanskrit ārya “of high rank” (adjective), “aristocrat” (noun) + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of Aryan¹

C19: from Sanskrit ārya of noble birth

Example Sentences

Eugenics gained traction in the early 20th century, most notably in Nazi Germany, where Hitler sought to create a master Aryan race, perpetrating unspeakable atrocities including the Holocaust.

From Los Angeles Times

As a result, urbanisation in ancient India is often viewed as a northern phenomenon, with a dominant narrative that the northern Aryans "civilised" the Dravidian south.

From BBC

In Nazi Germany, universities were purged of Jewish professors and political dissidents, while academic disciplines were reshaped to propagate racial pseudoscience and Aryan supremacy.

From Salon

Aryan loved the roaring sound of the engine fill the air and then grow louder as the plane cruised above him, leaving behind chalky threads of contrail in the sky,

From BBC

In the last six years, federal prosecutors in Sacramento and Fresno have targeted the Aryan Brotherhood, the dominant criminal organization among white inmates in the California prison system.

From Los Angeles Times